39171 Tassajara Rd, Carmel Valley, CA 93924
https://www.sfzc.org/practice-centers/tassajara
All Levels
$$-$$$
I was really excited to visit this retreat center- it has history. The first Soto Zen training center the US, Tassajara is part of the San Francisco Zen Center and was established in 1967. Although the price tag was steep for a weekend retreat, I felt like I had to experience this center which only opens it’s doors to visitors during the summer months. The workshop I choose was a combination of yoga and hiking with a Buddhist perspective, it sounded like complete perfection to me. Getting to the retreat involves a four wheel drive vehicle since the dirt roads you have to traverse are rocky and steep. The center offers a shuttle at different times during the day for an additional cost in case you, like most guests, don’t have an appropriate vehicle. This choice was what I opted for and was surprised it was an additional cost and not included in the price of the workshop.
There are several different options for accommodations at Tassajara. I choose one of the Redwood Cabins, which was a collection of free standing small cabins. The interior is decorated in very humble accommodations and in the traditional Japanese way there are two tatami straw mats on the floor and the mattresses sit on top. I did not mind sleeping on the floor and the mattresses were actually really comfortable, but what I did mind was the collection of black spiders that continued to make an appearance during my stay. I don’t have a ton of fears but spiders are on the list – up high on the list. Against my better judgement and needing to sleep in the cabin I exterminated a few, with regret and blessings, and thought of the irony here at a Buddhist Zen center where harming all sentient beings is wrong. I began by trapping the first visitor in a glass cup which took what seemed like an hour since he would duck away and reappear across the room. What I later discovered that there was a village that lived in the cabin and there was no way I was going to sleep until they were cleared from my area.
The food was incredibly disappointing. For vegans they had plain rice and lentils with zero seasoning – every meal. It was barely palatable and for the cost of the retreat you would think the food offerings would be much better. There were tables enjoying wine they brought so that was allowed although I don’t believe it was sold there. There is a cute bookstore and a really nice collection of hot springs. The hot springs is what I looked forward to most during my stay and anxiously after check in grabbed my suit and headed over but the bummer was again – BUGS. More bugs! These were flying, biting little insects that were in masses. They were so bad that the lounge chairs around the pool had netting to protect you from getting bit. This is an obvious reoccurring problem at the center.
I was super disappointed with my stay at Tassajara and was almost angered at the total charge of the weekend. It is real hard to relax when there are spiders in your bed and the food options are sad. If this had been a donation based experience I would have been far less disappointed. I could not wait to leave.
I would possibly go back in a different season – maybe when the bugs aren’t as active and try a different type of accommodation